X heucherella plant named &#39;stoplight&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of × Heucherella  plant characterized by its distinctive gold to chartreuse foliage with a large, starry, maroon blotch.

BOTANICAL DENOMINATION

×Heucherella sp.

VARIETY DESIGNATION

‘Stoplight’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct intergeneric hybrid between Heuchera and Tiarella, or ×Heucherella, and given the cultivar name ‘Stoplight’. Both genera, Heuchera and Tiarella, are of the family Saxifragaceae.

This new cultivar was bred using Heuchera AWH-12, a proprietary, unreleased plant as the seed parent and Tiarella BL2, a proprietary, unreleased plant as the pollen parent.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This new ×Heucherella is unique in its bright golden to chartreuse foliage with a very large maroon blotch in the center and characterized by:

1. Large, shallowly lobed leaves.

2. Unusual white flowers.

The new variety has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (division and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by division and tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques with terminal and lateral shoots as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The drawing shows the one year old plant of the new variety growing in a one-gallon pot surrounded by various Heuchera with dark and silver leaves in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new ×Heucherella hybrid based on observations of one-year-old specimens grown in a one-gallon pot in a cold greenhouse in Canby, Oreg. This greenhouse is kept at between 55 and 85 degrees F. in the summer months and in the winter is heated to frost free, above 32 degrees F. and vented at 55 degrees F. Light intensities are consistent with full sun in Canby, Oreg. which gets 42.8 inches of rain per year and is often cloudy. Plants were hand watered when dry. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart.

-   Plant:     -   -   Type.—Herbaceous perennial.         -   Form.—Basal rosette.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zone 5.         -   Size.—15 cm tall from the soil to the top of the foliage and             35 cm wide.         -   Vigor.—Excellent.         -   Roots.—Fibrous, freely branching, fine, and white in color.             Roots develop easily from cuttings. -   Leaf:     -   -   Type.—Simple.         -   Arrangement.—Rosette.         -   Shape.—Broadly ovate, becoming cupped and rugose with age.         -   Lobing/division.—5 shallow main lobes with each of these             shallowly lobed.         -   Venation.—Palmate.         -   Margins.—Crenate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Cordate.         -   Blade size.—Ranges from 9 to 12.5 cm long and 8.5 to 10.5 cm             wide.         -   Surface texture.—Hispid and with glandular hairs.         -   Petiole size.—Ranges from 9 to 11 cm long and 1.5 to 2 mm             wide.         -   Petiole texture.—Hispid and with glandular hairs.         -   Petiole color.—Closest to Greyed Purple 185C and lightening             to Yellow Green 150D near leaf blade.         -   Leaf color.—Leaves open in spring a yellow green with a dark             red center pattern and become more yellow with maturity New             spring leaves topside — Between Yellow Green 154A and Yellow             Green 151A with slightly more green. Reddish pattern in the             center and following the veins, Greyed Purple 187B Mature             spring leaves topside — Yellow 8B with faint yellow green on             veins to Yellow 5D, both with the center Greyed Purple 185A             Spring leaves — bottom side — Yellow 5D Summer leaves —             topside — Between Yellow Green 144A and Yellow Green 146B             with the reddish pattern along the veins, Greyed Purple 187B             Winter leaves — Red brown tinged where most exposed, Greyed             Orange 176A. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Thyrse.         -   Number offlowers.—Ranges from 60 to 70 per thyrse.         -   Number of thryse in spring flush.—8.         -   Size of inflorescence.—13 cm long and 3 cm wide.         -   Peduncle.—With 2 leaves and branches, height 42 cm, width 2             mm, Greyed. Purple 183A and lighter toward tip, Yellow 5D or             Greyed Yellow 160A, pubescent.         -   Pedicel.—Grows to 5 mm long and 1 mm wide, pubescent, Greyed             Purple 185C.         -   Bloom period.—Early April to late May. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Size.—3 mm deep and wide.         -   Description.—Ovoid, side facing, pubescent.         -   Color.—Greyed Yellow 161B. -   Flower:     -   -   Type.—Perfect, sepals petaloid.         -   Shape.—Rotate.         -   Size.—6 to 7 mm wide and deep.         -   Petal description.—5 in number, 2.5 mm long and 1 mm wide,             oblanceolate in shape, margins entire, apex acute, White             155D.         -   Calyx description.—Petaloid, rotate in shape, 7 mm wide and             1.5 mm deep, 5 lobes divided ¾ of the way to the base, waxy             and with glandular hairs on the outside, glabrous inside,             margins entire, apices acute.         -   Calyx color.—Outside: White 155D with touches of pink,             Greyed Purple 186D Inside: White 155D.         -   Stamen description.—5 in number, 2.5 mm long, thickened,             sterile, White 155A.         -   Pistil description.—one, White 155D, 3.5 mm long.         -   Fragrance.—None.         -   Lastingness.—A thyrse blooms for about 2 weeks on the plant. -   Fruit and seed: None. The plant does not form fruit or seed.     -   -   Fertility.—Sterile. -   Disease and pest tolerance: All ×Heucherella are susceptible to root     weevils. No problems have been identified for this new cultivar.

Comparisons to Similar ×Huecherella

Compared to ×Heucherella ‘Sunspot’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,825), this new cultivar has leaves that are larger, with more intense coloring, 5 rather than 3 main lobes, and white, rather than pink flowers.

The seed parent Heuchera AWH-12 had tan-colored foliage. The pollen parent Tiarella BL2 was a well marked broad leaf Tiarella. Heucherella ‘Stoplight’ has broad leaves like both parents and the well marked dark center of the pollen parent. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of ×Heucherella plant as herein illustrated and described. 